This newest model of the flagship Fenix adventure watch includes a life-saving capability: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge cellular tech, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a limited edition. This is Garmin's premier device and engineered to be the only tool needed to explore almost anywhere and monitor all your movements.
This positions it as an very expensive option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – nearly double the price of the standard Fenix 8.
You do receive a significant functionality for your money, with industry-leading workout, movement and outdoor monitoring. The complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly direct you return to the path if you get lost without a phone, and appear great on the large, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the smaller 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen always active, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Texting, Calling and Live Tracking
The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, as with other wearables. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable products, SOS communication is not provided for no cost.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or family can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or comparable activities – along with SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Location updates and texts via orbital are then charged additionally, with more expensive subscriptions offering various quotas of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.
Once you have got it set up, you just head out the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable tasks, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth via typed or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is enough to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a collection of customisable pre-set responses you can send to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls work acceptably, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to automatically transmit a URL to selected contacts every time you start an activity, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s excellent for following competition performance, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically worked well, though the actual location has sometimes been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these features are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a vital safety feature, however it is important to remember that orbital service is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with services available via the support site. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin offers disposal schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach subscription packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re without coverage.
The result is an even more impressive outdoor device for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
It is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries quite a price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to provide the features. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so works with all make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.
Cons: very costly, LTE and orbital features need ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay bank support, voice features are sluggish, basic smartwatch features compared with competing watches.
